Measuring stellar ages is difficult, so sometimes we need to resort to using indirect estimates. In today’s paper, we will see how to calibrate a cosmic clock for cool stars and, as a bonus, discover that the activity of these stars may decline faster than we previously thought.

Stellar evolution remains one of the most complicated and yet fundamental subjects in astrophysics. In today’s paper, we take a look at the role of atomic diffusion in the evolution of Sun-like stars, and how they affect estimates of stellar ages and chemical tagging.

Have you checked the assumptions and approximations of your favorite stellar evolution code? In today’s paper we confront these uncertainties and face the fact that, well, stellar evolution is extremely complicated and we need to keep tabs of the limitations of our models.

Interstellar space should be littered with debris ejected during the formation of planetary systems—but how much? Engelhardt et al. use solar system surveys and simulations to place an upper limit on the number density of asteroids and comets roaming the Milky Way without a parent star.

Fomalhaut (a.k.a. the Eye of Sauron) has a dusty disk around it and an intriguing speck of light near the edge of the disk. But we don’t exactly know the nature of this object: Could it be… a neutron star?